Proton-Conducting Magnetic Coordination Polymers

Abstract

Three isostructural lanthanide-based two- dimensional coordination polymers (CPs) {[Ln2(L)3(H2O)2]n⋅2n CH3OH)⋅2n H2O} (Ln=Gd(3+) (1), Tb(3+) (2), Dy(3+) (3); H2L=cyclobutane-1,1-dicarboxylic acid) were synthesized by using a low molecular weight dicarboxylate ligand and characterized. Single-crystal structure analysis showed that in complexes 1-3 lanthanide centers are connected by μ3-bridging cyclobutanedicarboxylate ligands along the c axis to form a rod-shaped infinite 1D coordination chain, which is further linked with nearby chains by μ4-connected cyclobutanedicarboxylate ligands to form 2D CPs in the bc plane. Viewing the packing of the complexes down the b axis reveals that the lattice methanol molecules are located in the interlayer space between the adjacent 2D layers and form H-bonds with lattice and coordinated water molecules to form 1D chains. Magnetic properties of complexes 1-3 were thoroughly investigated. Complex 1 exhibits dominant ferromagnetic interaction between two nearby gadolinium centers and also acts as a cryogenic magnetic refrigerant having a significant magnetic entropy change of -ΔSm=32.8 J kg(-1) K(-1) for ΔH=7 T at 4 K (calculated from isothermal magnetization data). Complex 3 shows slow relaxation of magnetization below 10 K. Impedance analysis revealed that the complexes show humidity-dependent proton conductivity (σ=1.5×10(-5) S cm(-1) for 1, σ=2.07×10(-4) S cm(-1) for 2, and σ=1.1×10(-3) S cm(-1) for 3) at elevated temperature (>75 °C). They retain the conductivity for up to 10 h at high temperature and high humidity. Furthermore, the proton conductivity results were correlated with the number of water molecules from the water-vapor adsorption measurements. Water-vapor adsorption studies showed hysteretic and two-step water vapor adsorption (182,000 μL g(-1) for 1, 184,000 μL g(-1) for 2, and 1,874,000 μL g(-1) for 3) in the experimental pressure range. Simulation of water-vapor adsorption by the Monte Carlo method (for 1) confirmed the high density of adsorbed water molecules, preferentially in the interlayer space between the 2D layers.

Keywords: carboxylate ligands; conducting materials; coordination polymers; lanthanides; magneticproperties.